Device for removing sealing strips from cans



Oct. 22, 1963 J. L. HARTLEY 3,107,809

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SEALING smps FROM CANS Filed June 6, 1962 INVENTOR.

gfbmes 1. Harri/e1 127M 6. WW

I? TTORME Y United States Patent 3,107,309 DEVICE FGR REMOVING SEALING STRIPS FRQM CANS James L. Hartley, 2800 S. Holden St., Seattle, Wash. Filed June 6, 1962, Ser. No. 200,511 3 Claims. (Cl. 22052) My invention relates to devices tor removing sealing strips from cans.

A general object of my invention is to provide a can seal strip removing device by which the sealing strips from vacuum cans and other cans thus sealed may be removed quickly, easily, safely and without using the conventional keys common used to do this.

Another object is to provide a hollow, drum type can seal strip removing device having easily operated, reliable and eflicient means for gripping and holding a loose end portion of a sealing strip which is being removed from a can, said device including a hollow tubular drum having in it Wall a slot, one wall of which is beveled to a knife edge, said slot being adapted to receive the loose end or tab of a can sealing strip and said drum having therein a spring pawl for engaging and holding the strip, said drum being rotatively movable in a direction opposite to the direction in which the usual key is rotated in removing a sealing strip from a can, this being in a direction which moves the knife edge toward instead of away from the tab or loose end of the strip so that there is no tendency for the parts which grip the tab or loose end of the strip to pull away from said strip, but instead the loose end of the strip is doubled sharply over the knife edge and very firmly gripped and held, and to further provide a fixed guide member to guide and support the strip at the location where the strip is being pulled loose from the can, said guide member having a rounded strip guiding surface over which the strip slides without sharply bending the strip.

Another object is to provide a can seal strip removing device of a type in which a sealing strip is removed from a can by winding it onto a drum, the device being constructed so that all of the laps of the strip are wound in overlying relation on the drum and the tendency to tear or break the strip is minimized.

Another object is to provide -a sealing strip removing device in which the coiled sealing strip is self releasing and easily removed from the drum at the end of the can opening operation.

Other objects of any invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of my can seal removing device.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same showing a fragment of a can in operative relation thereto with the end of its can seal strip positioned for engagement by this device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on broken line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view partly in plan and partly in section taken substantially on broken line 44 of FIG. 3 and showing a fragment of can with its sealing strip clamped by this device and with the sealing strip winding drum or shell advanced far enough so that it has started to tear the sealing strip loose from the can.

3" E 0 7 98@ g Patented Get. 22, 1 963 FIG. 5 is a view partly in plan and partly in cross section taken substantially on broken line 55 of FIG. 3.

Like reference numerals refer'to like parts throughout the several views.

My can seal strip removing device comprises a frame or housing H, which may be varied in form but is herein shown as having two wall flanges 10 and 11, an upper housing wall 12, :a lower housing wall 13 and three side walls 14, 15 and 16. The flanges 10 and 11 are provided with suitable screw receiving perforations 17 to facilitate securing the housing H to a wall.

The top housing wall 12 has an opening 20 which intersects the side wall 16 and said side wall 16 has a notch 21 which registers with and connects with the opening 20. The opening 20 and notch 21 cooperate in providing suitable space for the reception of an upright tubular cylindrical sealing strip receiving shell or drum 23. Preferably the drum 23 is in the order of from one to one and one half inches in diameter and it can be made from fairly heavy gauge sheet metal or from steel tubing with a thin but strong wall. An inwardly extending bearing flange or bracket 24, FIG. 3, is rigid with the housing wall 16 and flush with the bottom of the notch 21. A rigid transverse partition plate or member 25 is provided in the drum 23 and a bearing hub 26 on said member 25 rests on and is supported by the bracket 24.

An upright shaft 27 is supported by the flange 24 and the bottom wall 13 of the housing H and extends upwardly through the hub 25 and member 25 and rotatively supports the cylindrical shell or drum 23. The lower end of the shell or drum 23 is provided with crown gear teeth 28 which mesh with a pinion 30. The pinion 30 is rigid with the inner end of a shaft 31. The shaft 31 is rotatively supported in a bearing tube 32 which is rigid with the side wall 15 of the housing H. Said shaft 31 terminates in a crank arm 33 which has a knob 34 on its outer end. Obviously rotation of the shaft 31 will impart rotation to the drum 23. Preferably the gear ratio provided by the crown type gear 28 and pinion 30 is in the order of five to one. It will be understood that the shaft 31 does not need to be integral with the crank arm 33 and that said shaft 31 can be terminated in such a manner as to facilitate its connection with a source of power, such as an electric motor or a driven flexible shaft or a driven part of another utensil or device.

The upper end of the drum 23 is provided with a downwardly extending slot 35 within which the loose end 36 of a tear or sealing strip 37 on a can 38 may be inserted, as shown in FIG. 4. The wall of the cylindrical shell or drum 23 at one side of the slot 35 is bent outwardly a slight amount, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 and preferably is sharpened to a knife edge 40. An upright guide post 4-1 is rigidly supported from the housing wall 16 adjacent the slot 35 by lugs 42 which are rigid with housing wall 16. The upper end portion of the post 41 is provided with a transverse protrusion 43 which is positioned approximately flush with the upper end of the shell 23 and overhangs the upper edge of the tear strip 36 of a can when a tear strip is disposed in the slot 35.

A resilient pawl 44 in the form of a fairly stiff piece of flat spring metal is provided within the shell 23 and extends across said shell at one side of thecenter thereof.

- The spring pawl 44 normally tends to straighten out but finger pieces 49 rigidly connected with it and extending above the top of the shell 23 by which said cam 45 can be ro-t-atively moved. One end of the spring 44 rests against a fixed stop member 46 in the shell 23. The other end of said spring is positioned close to the slot 35 so that it can engage with and hold the end 36 of the tear strip 37. The cam 45 can be selectively positioned so that it will press against and increase the curvature of the spring pawl 44 and in so doing retract the end of said pawl, numbered 47, clear of the slot 35, as shown in FIG. 2. Also said earn 45 can be moved into a position, as shown in FIG. 4, in which it will release the spring pawl ed and allow the end 47 of said pawl 44 to engage with the end portion 36 of the tear strip 37. Stop devices are provided to limit the rotary movement of the cam. 45 in both directions. Two stop pins 50 and 51 rigid with the member 25 and extending upwardly therefrom at opposite sides of the cam 45 can be used for this purpose.

Also devices are provided to facilitate properly positioning the shell 23 and to prevent it from being rotated in the wrong direction. These devices are shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. They comprise a pawl 52 lying close to the top housing wall 12 and having one end 53 pivotally anchored to the side wall 14- of the housing. The other end 54 of the pawl 52 is yieldingly held \against the drum 23 by a spring 55 and is adapted to engage within a recess 56 within said drum 23 when the drum 23 is in a starting position. A bracket 57 is secured to the top wall 12 of the housing and prevents the pawl 52 from dropping down while allowing free swinging movement of the same toward and away from the drum 23.

For purposes of use this can opening device may be rigidly secured to a wall or like means which will support the same with the drum 23 in an upright position. Before using the device to open a can the user makes sure that the drum 23 is in the proper starting position, with the slot 35 facing outwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and with the end 54 of the pawl 52 positioned in the recess 56 of drum 23, as shown in FIG. 5. Also he makes sure that the cam 45 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 and is holding the spring pawl 44 retracted so that the slot 35 is open. 7

When the end 54 of the drum positioning and holding pawl 52 is in the recess 56 it serves as a positioning wise away from its starting position the knife edge will be moved toward and further under the loose end or tab 36 of said tear strip and will bend the tab 36 substantially double over the knife edge 40 and said tab will be firmly gripped adjacent the knife edge 40 by the end 47 of the spring pawl 44 thus firmly binding the tear strip to the drum 23. Further movement of the drum 23 will pull the tear strip loose from the can and Wind it o the drum 23. Y

As the tear strip is pulled loose from the can 38 his drawn around and guidedby the upright post 41 which provides a rigid curved guide surface for the strip at the location where it is being parted from the can and over which the strip slides. This insures that the strip 37 will be evenly wound in overlying laps on the drum without dangerof breaking the strip. The overhanging part 43 V on the top end of the post 41 limits upward movement of the tear strip on the post 41 and on the drum 23 and precludes danger of the tear strip 37 running oil of the top end of the drum 23. The mechanical advantage afforded by the crown gear 28 and pinion 30 makes it easy to wind the tear strip 05 of a can without danger of injury to the hands.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that changes in the same may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1.,A device for removing sealing strips from cans oomprising a hollow cylindrical drum; means supporting said drum for rotation on an upright axis; devices restraining said drum against rotation in one direction; a sealing strip receiving slot in the wall of said drum extending from the top edge of said drum downwardly, said slot being:adapted to receive the end portion of :asealing strip of acan; a spring pawl disposed within the drum and having one end thereof positioned to engage with the end portion of a can sealing strip when a can sealing strip is disposed in said slot; means operable to retract said spring pawl clear of a sealing strip within said slot; drum rotating cent said drum.

means for the drum 23 and as a positive stop means i which prevents rotary movement of said drum 23 in the wrong direction, that is in a clockwise direction as respects the showing in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. With the drum 23 and cam 45 properly positioned for starting purposes the user may place a can against the drum 23 with the loose end 36 of the tear strip 37 in alignment with and adjacent to the knife edge 49 and rotatively move said can in the proper direction to cause the loose end 36 of the tear strip to enter the slot 35 and assume a position as shown in FIG. 2. Another way of applying the can tothe can opener would be to slightly bend the loose end 36 of the tear strip outwardly from the can and insert it into the slot 35. The user then moves the cam 45 away from the spring pawl retracting position, in which it is shown in FIG. 2, to the releasing position in which it is shown in .FIG. 4. This permits the end 47 of the spring pawl 44 to engage with and grip and securely hold the loose end .36 of the tear strip. In the engaged position of the spring pawl shown in FIG. 4 said pawl rests against the wall of the drum 23 opposite the knife edge 40 and the pull of the strip 37 will cause the end portion 47 of this pawl to engage with the tab portion 36 of the strip very firmly.

5 P ti n.- m .23 is moved counter-clock- 2. In a device for removing sealing strips from cans, a tubular cylindrical drum; means supporting said drum for rotation on :an upright axis; crown gear teeth on the lower end portion of said drum; a dru-mdriving shaft rotatively mounted in said drum supporting means; a pinion on said shaft meshing with said crown gear teeth on said drum; shaft rotating means connected with said shaft; asealing strip receiving slot inthe wall of said drum extending from the top edge thereof downwardly; and

for rotation on an upright axis; drum rotating means oper able to rotatively move said drum, said drum having a narrow longitudinally extending slot in its peripheral wall, the drum wall at one side of said slot being beveled forming a knife edge flush. with the outer surface of said drum, said slot being capable of receiving the end portion of a sealing strip to be removed from a can; a sealing strip holding spring within said drum and having one end portion positioned to engage with a can sealing strip and clamp the same substantially at the location of the beveled edge of said slot; a cam in said drum positioned to engage with said spring and move said spring into strip engaging and strip releasing positions; manually operable cam moving means connected with said cam and extending above said drum; a spring pressed pawl having an end portion engaging the exterior of said drum, said drum having an external recess positioned to receive the drum engaging end portion of said pawl when said drum is in a starting position with the slot therein facing outwardly, said pawl cooperating in positioning said drum a sealing strip is held by said spring at the location of said slot rotation of said drum will bend said sealing strip around said knifie edge and will draw said sealing strip around said guide post in removing the sealing strip and preventing rotation of said drum in one direction 5 f the canvand winding it on the drmm away from the starting position; and :an upright sealing strip guide post supported by said frame adjacent the periphery of said drum and adjacent to the position occupied by said slot when the drum is in a starting position, whereby when the drum is in a starting position and 10 ,8

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Brasseur Sept. 16, 1958 

2. IN A DEVICE FOR REMOVING SEALING STRIPS FROM CANS, A TUBULAR CYLINDRICAL DRUM; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DRUM FOR ROTATION ON AN UPRIGHT AXIS; CROWN GEAR TEETH ON THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID DRUM A DRUM DRIVING SHAFT ROTATIVELY MOUNTED IN SAID DRUM SUPPORTING MEANS; A PINION ON SAID SHAFT MESHING WITH SAID CROWN GEAR TEETH ON SAID DRUM; SHAFT ROTATING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID SHAFT; A SEALING STRIP RECEIVING SLOT IN THE WALL OF SAID DRUM EXTENDING FROM THE TOP EDGE THEREOF DOWNWARDLY; AND SEALING STRIP HOLDING MEANS WITHIN SAID DRUM SELECTIVELY MOVABLE INTO A SEALING STRIP HOLDING POSITION AND A SEALING STRIP RELEASING POSITION RELATIVE TO A SEALING STRIP IN SAID SLOT. 